Feeder for woodworking-machines.



No. 889,025. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908. J. O. LUDWIG, JR.

FEEDER FOR WOODWORKING MACHINES.

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WITNESSES l/VVE/VTOR ATTORNE v THE NaRms PETERS C0., MMsHINGToN, n. c.

No. 889,025. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

- J. 0. LUDWIG, JL I FEEDER FOR WOODWORKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31.1907.

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WITNESSES;

ATTORNE ru: humus PETERS Co, \VASHINGTON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. LUDWIG, JR, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FEEDER FOR WOODWORKING-MAGHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. LUDWIG, Jr., citizen of United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Feeders forWoodworking- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to feeders for woodworking machines. Its object isto provide a machine for automatically feeding sticks or pieces oftimber to a cutter-head, saw, or the ike; which machine may be adjustedto feed stock of any reasonable thickness or width; which willautomatically adjust itself to any unevennesses in the stock, and whichwill handle stock of any length, or successive pieces of varyinglengths.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation of the machine. Fig.2 is a sectional end view thereof. Fig. 3is a plan view of the delivery end of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail viewof the vertical anti-friction roller.

A represents a fixed frame of any suitable construction.

2 is a carriage suitably mounted to move in a horizontal plane sidewiseof the frame A. As here shown, the carriage 2 is sup orted to slide inand out on the guide r0 s 33. One of these guide rods, as 3, isscrewthreaded, as at 4, to engage a correspondingly threaded nut portion5 on the carriage 2. A crank or hand-wheel 6 is attached to thisthreaded rod or shaft 3, so that by turning the shaft 3 the carriage 2is moved in or out.

7 is a frame mounted on the horizontal pivots 8 and carrying thefeed-roller 9, which turns 011 a vertical axis. The shaft 10 carryingthe feed-roller 9 is provided with a beveled gear 11 meshing acorresponding gear 12 on a shaft 13. The shaft 13 is journaled in thefixed support A, andthe beveled gear 13 is slidable on a feather 14 onthe shaft 13, the gear being suitably journaled in a lug 15 on thecarriage 2. The points of contact of the teeth of gears 1112 are in theline of the pivots 8 of the oscillating frame 7, so that the frame 7 mayhave a limited oscillating Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 31, 1907.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Serial No. 386,322.

movement without carrying the beveled gears 1112 out of mesh.

The side of the frame A adjacent to the feed-roller 9 is provided with afixed vertical surface 16, against which the work is pressed by thefeed-roller 9. A plate 17, arranged slightly in advance of thefeed-roller, and at right angles to the surface 16, forms, inconjunction with the surface 16, a hop er into which the stock to beacted upon 1s delivered. An idle roller 18 is journaled in an opening inthe frame A and opposite feed roller 9, and forms an anti-frictionsurface between which and the roller 9 the work will pass on intoengagement with a second feedroller 19 mounted on the horizontal shaft20. The carriage 2 is provided with guide members 21, which move towardsand from the surface 16 in unison with the carriage, to increase ordiminish the width of the hopper space.

A table or work support 22 is vertically adjustable on the frame A (andguided by the bolts 23,) towards and from the horizontal feed-roller 19.The guide members 21 and the first'mentioned or vertical feed-roller 9pass up through transverse slots in the table, and the movement in andout of the feedroller 9 and the guides 21 is independent of the table.The latter is provided with an idle roller 24 opposed to the horizontalfeedroller 19, to form an anti-frictional support to the underneath sideof the timber.

The frame 7 is oscillated normally in a direction to carry thefeed-roller 9 towards the co-acting surface 16 by suitable means, as theadjustable counterweight 25 on the arm 26. The arm 26 is fixed to theframe 7 and a suitable stop is provided, as, for example, the cross-bar27 of the frame, to limit the downward movement of the arm when there isno work in the machine, so that the roller 9 will the table nearer tothe horizontal feed-roller 19, and when the crank is turned in the opposite direction the table will be correspondingly lowered to increasethe distance between the table and said feed-roller; thus adapting themachine to the feeding of lumber of different thickness.Correspondingly, a turning of crank 6 on the screw-shaft 3 will increaseor decrease the distance between the vertical surface 16 and roller 9 toadapt the machine to lumber of different widths.

The counterweighting of the oscillating frame 7 allows the feed-roller 9to be yield ingly supported against the work, so that any ordinarydifferences in width of stock, or of successive pieces of lumber, willnot affect the practical operation of the machine. The horizontalfeed-roller 19 is also yieldingly supported, so that it may raise orlower automatically in case a thickness of timber is encounteredslightly greater or less than was provided for by the initial adjustmentof the machine.

The shaft 20 is j ournaled in the bearing 34 in the frame A, and theother end is movable up and down in a slot 35 in the opposite side ofthe frame. A counterweighted rod 36, fulcrumed at 37, normally bearsdown on the shaft 20 to cause the horizontal feed-roller 19 to presswith suitable force on the top of the work, which is represented at 38.

Motion is simultaneously imparted to both feed-rollers 919 from acentral drive-shaft 39, which carries the gear 40 meshing correspondinggears 41-42 on the respective shafts 1320. The shaft 39 carries a loosepulley 43, and also a friction pulley 44, which latter corres onds tothe usual fixed pulley on a drive-s iaft. The purpose of having afriction pulley, or otherwise arranging for slippage, is to prevent theclogging of the wood-working machine to which this feeder is adapted tofeed the stuff, or otherwise to prevent breakage or disarrangement ofthe parts.

In operation, the stock to be acted upon is fed into the hopper spacebetween the surface 16, plate 17, and guides 21, the carriage 2 beingmanipulated in or out so that the guides will be just a proper distancefrom the surface 16, as to support the lumber without binding it againstthe surface 16. The counterweight 25 will always act on the hinged frame2, except at the moment when the work is being delivered from thismachine to the cutter-head or saw, in such fashion that the roller 9will press with sufficient force against the wood, and cause the same tobe fed forward when the drive-shaft 39 is revolved. The table 22 israised or lowered so that it will be brought at the proper distance fromthe horizontal feed-roller 19, and enable the stock to be grasped by thelatter as it is fed forward by the initial feed-roller 9. Havingeffected the adjustments of the carriage 2 and table 22, the drive-shaft39 is set in motion, whereupon the lowermost piece of timber is seizedupon by the feed-roller 9 and carried forward beneath the lower end ofthe plate 17 into engagement with the horizontal second feed-roller 19.Both rollers then act on the stock momentarily, until the front end ofthe stock engages a plain roller 45 which is carried on a vertical arbor46 on the oscillating frame 7. This roller 45 engages the same side ofthe stock that the initial feed-roller 9 does, but it is so positionedthat at all times it is nearer to the opposed guide surface 16 than theinitial feed-roller is. The result is that as soon as the stockencounters the roller 45 it rocks the frame 7 and carries the initialfeed-roller out of engagement with the stock. From that time on, then,until the timber leaves the roller 45 the feed-roller 9 is inoperative,although it continues to turn, and the feeding of the stock forward isdone by the horizontal feed-roller 19 until the timber is delivered intothe machine to which the present device is attached. Thereupon themachine to which this device feeds takes hold of the timber and draws itforward from further engagement with the rollers 19 or 45. As soon asthe spreading action of the timber on' roller 45 ceases, the oscillatingframe swings inward again so that the second piece of timber piled up inthe hopper, which has dropped meanwhile into the position just vacatedby the preceding timber, is seized upon by the initial roller, and theoperation is repeated. In this machine the control of the initialfeed-roller is effected by the idle presser-roller 45, and independentof the secondary feed-roller 19. Both feed-rollers 9 and 19 areyieldingly and independently supported. The vertical anti-frictionroller 18, it is to be observed, has its upper end beveled, as shown inFig. 4, so that the stock will not catch on the roller as it drops on tothe table.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. A lumber-feeding machine having in combination avertically disposed feed-roller, a horizontal feed-roller beyond thefirstnamed roller, a supporting surface opposed to each feed-roller, andbetween which surface and the feed-rollers, the work to be fed ispassed, means for operating the feedrollers, a support for the verticalfeed-roller said support being vertically disposed and arrangedsubstantially parallel with one side of the machine, and being rockabletransversely of the direction of feed of the work, and means carried bythe rockable support and located beyond the horizontal feed-roller andin the range of action of the work for temporarily disengaging thevertical feedroller from said work.

2. A lumber-feeding machine having in pivotally mounted in the carriage,whereby the frame is rockable in a plane transversely of the directionof feed of the lumber, said vertical roller being mounted on said frame,and a member on said frame, beyond both feed-rollers and disposed in therange of travel of the lumber and adapted to disengage the verticalfeed-roller from the lumber when the forward end of said lumber contactswith said member.

3. In a lumber-feeding machine, the combin ation of two feed-rollersarranged substantially at right angles to each other, a supportingsurface opposed to each feed-roller and between which supporting surfaceand said feed-rollers the work to be fed is passed, means for operatingsaid feed-rollers, independent means operated on by the work fortemporarily disengaging one of said feedrollers, a vertically disposedsupport having its lower portion hingedly secured whereby the upperportion is rockable transversely of the direction of feed of the work,one of said feed-rollers mounted on said support, and an adjustablecarriage to which said rockable support is hinged.

4. A lumber-feeding machine having in combination a primaryfeeding-mechanism, a secondary feeding-mechanism, atransversely-rockable, vertically disposed frame hingedly secured at itslower portion and having its upper portion serving as a support for theprimary feeding-mechanism, and a member carried by said frame anddisposed in the range of travel of the lumber, for auto maticallydisengaging the primary feedingmechanism from feeding contact with thelumber.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of ahorizontally adjustable carriage, a frame hinged to said carriage, avertical shaft journaled in said frame, a feedroller on said shaft, ahorizontal feed-roller supported independent of the first, work supportsopposed to each of said feed-rollers, and means for operating thefeed-rollers.

6. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a horizontally adjustablecarriage, a frame hinged tosaid carria e, a vertical shaft journaled in said frame, a eedroller onsaid shaft, a horizontal feed-roller supported independent of the first,work supports opposed to each of said feed-rollers, means for operatingthe feed-rollers, and means independent of .the feed-rollers and actedupon by the work to throw the vertical feed-roller out of actionsubsequent to the the combination of a horizontally adjustable carriage,a frame hinged to said carriage, a

Vertical shaft journaled in said frame, a feedroller on said shaft, ahorizontal feed-roller supported independent of the first, work supportsopposed to each of said feed-rollers, means for operating thefeed-rollers, and means independent of the feed-rollers and acted uponby the work to throw the vertical feed-roller out of-action subsequentto the taking hold of the work by the horizontal feed-roller, saidlast-named means comprising a tripping device carried by the oscillatingframe.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of ahorizontally adjustable carriage, a frame hinged to said carriage, avertical shaft journaled in said frame, a feedroller on said shaft, ahorizontal feed-roller supported independent ofthefirst, work supportsopposed to each of said feed-rollers, means for operating thefeed-rollers, and

means independent of the feed-rollers and acted upon by the work tothrow the vertical feed-roller out of action subsequent to the takinghold of the work by the horizontal feed-roller, said last-named meanscomprising a roller mounted on the oscillating frame.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of afixed frame, a transversely adjustable carriage, an oscillating framemounted on the carriage, a vertical feed-roller on the carriage, adrive-sh aft journaled in the fixed frame, driving connections betweensaid shaft and said vertical feedroller, a horizontal feed-rollerournaled in the fixed frame, connections between. the driveshaft andsaid horizontal roller, a vertically adjustable table, and awork supportopposed to the vertical feed-roller.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of afixed frame, a transversely adjustable carriage, an oscillating framemounted on the carriage, a vertical feed-roller on the carriage, adrive-shaft journaled in the fixed frame, driving connections betweensaid shaft and said vertical feed-roller, a horizontal feed-rollerjournaled in the fixed frame, connections between the drive-shaft andsaid horizontal roller, a vertically adjustable table, a work supportopposed to the vertical feed-roller, and means for causing saidfeed-rollers to press yieldingly against the work.

11, In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of afixed frame, a transversely adjustable carriage, a transverselyoscillating frame mounted on the carriage, a vertical feed-roller on theframe and movable towards and from the work, a drive-shaft j ournaled inthe fixed frame, drivj ing connections between said shaft and saidtaking hold of the work by the horizontal vertical feed-roller, ahorizontal feed-roller feed-roller.

journaled in the fixed frame, connections be- 7. In amachine of thecharacter described, I tween the drive-shaft and said horizontal 0roller, a vertically adjustable table, a Work my hand in presence of twosubscribing witsupport opposed to the vertical feed-roller, nesses.

and a tripping device on the oscillating frame T 7 engageable by theWork to throw the vertical Jon} feed-roller out of action after thehorizontal Witnesses:

feed-roller has taken hold. of the Work. FRANK L. OWEN,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set CHAS. E. TOWNSEND.

